In a powerful call to action delivered at the 37th Convocation of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele declared that the era of graduates seeking white-collar jobs is over. The imperative for Nigeria’s 8,000 fresh graduates, and the nation at large, is a radical pivot toward digital entrepreneurship and job creation.
Speaking on the theme, “Entrepreneurship Development in the Digital Age: Leveraging Technology for Job Creation and Economic Growth,” the Senator emphasized that the future of the Nigerian economy hinges on citizens—especially the youth—acquiring advanced digital skills to become global economic contributors.
The Three-Pronged Strategy for Digital Resilience
Bamidele’s address outlined a clear three-pronged strategy that must be executed by graduates, government, and the private sector to combat high youth unemployment and drive sustainable growth:
1. The Graduate’s Mandate: Creator, Not Seeker
For fresh graduates, regardless of their discipline, the priority must be skill acquisition and value creation.
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Embrace High-Demand Skills: Graduates must prioritize mastering specialized technological fields, including Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Web Development, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain Technology.
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The Entrepreneurial Shift: Job creation, not job seeking, is the new benchmark for success. Graduates must equip themselves with job-matching knowledge to remain relevant in the economic space.
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Rising Above Poverty: Acquiring these new skills is imperative to overcome prevailing global economic realities that push many into poverty, echoing the successful models adopted by rapidly growing Asian economies.
2. Government’s Policy Commitment: Enabling the Digital Space
The Federal Government must create the legal and economic ecosystem that supports this pivot.
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Strategic Legislative Acts: The government’s commitment is reflected in recent legislative moves, such as the resolve to enact the Nigeria Data Protection Commission Act, 2025, which aims to shape the digital economy and strengthen regulatory oversight.
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E-Governance Framework: The 2024 National Digital Economy and E-Governance Act is also critical, enhancing the use of digital technology, promoting innovation, and creating an enabling environment for fair competition.4
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Investment Priority: Policymakers and state actors must prioritize diverting resources to entrepreneurial training, incorporating technical and vocational studies, and developing managerial capacity across all educational levels.
3. Private Sector’s Role: Mentorship and Market Access
The private sector is crucial in closing the skills and opportunity gap.
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Investment in Human Capital: The private sector is urged to invest substantially in digital technologies and entrepreneurial training for youth.
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Support and Synergy: Companies must support graduates with relevant training, mentorship, networking programs, and facilitation of access to markets to ensure their innovative ideas have a viable path to commercialization.
The New Educational Reality
The event, chaired by Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, reinforced this vision, urging YABATECH to continue driving competency-based learning and innovation ecosystems that encourage students to “build, test, fail, and rebuild.”5
YABATECH’s Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, noted that the lecture captured the essence of the institution’s transition to a Specialized University of Technology, ensuring it produces the creators, innovators, and problem-solvers demanded by the digital age.
